My Mother My Angel … My Heartbeat
As we journey towards the end of the Season of the Resurrection, we continue our celebrations today by honouring our Mothers on this very special day. Mother’s Day is a wonderful time of the year when we express our love and appreciation of the one who gives of herself to her children. She is the one who cares, nurtures, protects, teaches, disciplines and above all loves. She is the one who God has endowed with the gift of sharing in creation. She is the one through whom He chose to enter into this world.
In my homily this week I spoke to the children about how we take our Mother’s for granted. I told them a story about a mother who asked her son to carry out some chores around the house. When he had finished, he gave his mother a bill which listed a cost against each chore totalling $29 and handed it to her. The story continues by saying that the mother looked at the “bill” with a tear in her eye and handed him a bill of a different kind. The bill included: For giving you life ... no cost; for looking after you every day.... no cost; for feeding you every day.... no cost; for washing and ironing your clothes ... no cost; for paying your school fees ... no cost; for driving you around ... no cost; and for everything else ... no cost. At the bottom she put a total. This total was the word “LOVE”.
The moral of the story is that our Mothers work for us day in and day out without counting the cost. Pope Francis talks about how mothers are often under-appreciated in their family role, and said they are key players in fighting against an individualistic, self-centered society. “To be a mother is a great treasure. Mothers, in their unconditional and sacrificial love for their children, are the antidote to individualism; they are the greatest enemies against war,” the pontiff told pilgrims earlier in the year. Mothers, he said, “are often exploited because of their availability. Not even the Christian community values them properly, despite the eminent example of the Mother of Jesus.”
One thing that stirs my memory and my heart as a child is how my mother taught me how to pray. I remember that regardless of all the pressures and problems in her life, she would kneel with my brother and I at the bedside every night and pray with us before we went to sleep. My mother was the one that taught me how to communicate and speak with God. This is not to be underestimated as this formed and guided my life. When I think about my mother, I remember the poem by the famous poet Said Akle and sung by Fayrouz – “Oumi ya Malaki” – My Mother, my angel. One of the verses describes the mother as “my heart beat”. I see this in so many mothers in our parish. We are so blessed to have mothers who are great examples for their children and for others. They are truly angels who are the heartbeat of this parish.
This Mothers’ Day and always be sure that you show your Mother a sign of your love, appreciation and gratitude. Do not count the cost because she definitely doesn’t.
On another note, we have been very busy preparing for all the different events and activities. The May visits continue and this week we had elections for our youth and teen committees. Congratulations to the new committees and their leaders which you can read about on the next page. Also, I encourage everyone to take part in the Mother’s Day Mass and Luncheon next Sunday, the Novena of St Rita which starts on Wednesday at St Patrick’s Church, the annual Gala which will be held on the 19th June and all spiritual talks and events in this blessed month.
Fr Tony Sarkis
The Father - Present, Patient and Firm
Sisters and Brothers,
Welcome to the Month of May, the month which our Church dedicates to our blessed Mother Mary. This month is the occasion for a "moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world pay to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance" (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1). In our parish, we inaugurated the month with a Mass which was celebrated by His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, where he blessed the water and icons that will be taken into the homes of our parishioners. The May visits also commenced on Friday and you can see the weekly program in the Arabic section of the newsletter. Also, there will be many spiritual activities for young and old during this month, so please try to participate as much as you can and receive the fruits of God’s mercy.
I will continue to talk about the family in this corner and this week I would like to focus on the role of the Father. Despite the social and secular craziness of this age, every family needs a father! However we need to discern what kind of Father. Not a father who wants his son or daughter to be exactly like him, not a father who is never present and definitely not a father who is controlling and overbearing. A good father is someone who spends time with his wife and children and is happy to see his children develop their own identity and character. Pope Francis tells us that being present isn't the same as being overbearing and controlling for “parents who override their children too often do not let them grow…instead a father should be happy when his son and daughter learns to be honest and wise. That is what counts in life."
A good father is someone who is patient. When our children are faced with difficulties and failures, how do we react? Do we deride and ridicule them or do we protect and encourage them? Do we “slap them in the face”? During these times, our children are so vulnerable and they are yearning for our tenderness, compassion and guidance. This does not mean that we shouldn’t punish them; a good father is someone who is firm without humiliating, however it definitely means that he does not “slap them in the face”. Further, a good father is someone who prays for his wife and children. Patience and prayer go hand in hand.
The pope specifies the above three things for fatherhood, being present, patient and firm.
The father above all is a role-model and teacher. Many fathers today tell their children to act in a certain way while they do the exact opposite. Children pay attention to every move, every action and every word that their father speaks and they end up doing what their father does instead of what he says. This generally stems from the pride and status that we inherit from our patriarchal culture. Too often, father’s think that they are above everyone especially their wives and children and in turn become dictators instead of fathers. A good father is someone who can be a friend and a brother to his children. God has endowed the father and mother with a beautiful gift; he has made them sharers in creation. We pray that we can truly discern the splendour of this gift and truly be father’s in the image of our heavenly Father.
Fr Tony Sarkis
Men & Women Complete each other
Sisters and Brothers,
Welcome to the fourth Sunday of the Glorious Resurrection. I pray that you are still basking in the light that shone from Jesus’ tomb and are being nourished by the fruits of this blessed season.
Last Wednesday, Pope Francis said that marriage is a “vocation all believers are called to defend, specifically in terms of the complimentary union between a man and a woman.” In reflecting on the Genesis account of the creation story, the Pope says that “man doesn’t see woman as a mere replica or reflection of himself, but immediately recognised her as someone reciprocal and complimentary to him.” This means that the woman is not a duplication or reproduction of the man as many people think because of the “rib” imagery portrayed in the Bible. Rather she is the creative act of God. The overarching theme of the Pope’s homily is that man and woman are equal and they complement each other.
Over the ages, the patriarchal cultures have led to great injustices against woman. From sexist attitudes, to degradation, to slavery, to rape and sexual abuse the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, this injustice continues today. Even though we have come a long way in terms of development, technology and understanding, there are still many injustices that occur in the home against wives and mothers, in the workplace, in the Church and in society in general.
God loved the woman so much that he gave her a share in creation. He loved her so much that through her, He became incarnate and dwelt among us. Therefore, if the creator of all being is able to do this, then who are we to do the opposite? I pray for all those who continue to be the cause of injustices against woman, that they may see the light of God’s true love and realise that without a woman the family cannot exist for she is the compassion of God actuated in this world.
The week that has just passed was extra special. As Australians, we celebrated the centenary of the commemoration of ANZAC day. On this day we remember those brave men and women who lost their lives in battle during the First World War. It is because of all these heroes that we have the opportunity to live the free life that we live today. I am proud to say that as Lebanese descendants, many of our young men and women also participated in this war to protect this great nation. There is a list of names of at least 50 people of Lebanese origin that has been posted on social media sites. May we always remember and teach our children about the sacrifices that so many people endured so that we may live in peace.
On a parish level, the month of May begins next Friday. To open up this Blessed month, His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel will be celebrating the Mass at the 6pm. For information on the home visits, please refer to the section inside the Newsletter. May the month of Mary our Mother and patron of this blessed Cathedral truly bring your families abundant blessings and graces.
